Finding Hope in Tragedy, by Teresa Brett

Just as we are each reflections of the world, the world is transformed by our commitment to change.

When we are on the sidelines of the kind of violence we saw in Newtown, Connecticut we try to find some way to make sense of what has happened. We ask questions and seek answers to this kind of violence. We try and make sense of what seems so senseless. How can the loss of so many children make sense?

Some want to name it evil and see it as an anomaly, rather than a symptom of the larger disconnections in our culture. Some call for policies that we believe will keep this from happening again, wanting to put responsibility on lobbying groups, the government, or some other system or institution. Some look to violence in the media, television and video games. Some blame music that glorifies a culture of violence.

Although there may not be easy answers, some of those answers lie within each of us.